Choose the right garlic planting machinery for your crop, field layout, labour availability and tractor. GARMACH offers both automatic chain-type AGP planters and manual-feed belt-type MGP planters for Australian growers.
AGP automatic planters or MGP manual-feed planters?
AGP chain-type planters collect cloves from the hopper using planting cups. They can reduce manual feeding, but clove size, preparation and cup selection must match the crop. The Australian AGP range includes AGP-3R, AGP-4R, AGP-5R and AGP-7R.
MGP belt-type planters use seated operators to place cloves or other suitable planting material on the moving planting belts. They may be useful when manual selection or orientation of planting material is important. Compare MGP-2R, MGP-3R, MGP-4R and MGP-5R.
Five details to confirm before ordering
- Planting material: crop, variety, typical clove or bulb dimensions and the extent of size variation.
- Number of rows: total planting width, existing bed layout and required row centres.
- In-row spacing: desired plant-to-plant distance and sprocket configuration.
- Planting depth: preferred depth and soil conditions. Actual performance depends on preparation and working conditions.
- Tractor and labour: three-point linkage compatibility, available tractor power and operators for manual-feed systems.
Match planting cups to the material
GARMACH AGP planting cups are available in several diameters, including 23, 28 and 36 mm. Selection depends on clove dimensions and the specific machine configuration. Do not assume that one cup size works equally well for every garlic variety or batch. You can discuss sample dimensions with Andrew at MacWood before ordering.
Planning row spacing and planting depth
Use centre-to-centre distances when describing row spacing and measure plant spacing separately along each row. Bed width, overall machine width, the mounting frame and the outermost row-centre span are not necessarily equal. We recommend confirming actual measurements against the chosen model’s specifications rather than relying on a diagram alone.
Preparation before field planting
Prepare the soil for the intended furrow shape and keep planting material reasonably uniform. The GS-550 garlic clove separator can assist with separating garlic bulbs into individual cloves. Inspect planting material after separation and grade or clean it as required before planting.
Other equipment for crop establishment
For mechanical weed management, compare GW-1.5 and GW-1.6. For bare-root seedlings and suitable small pots, review the DST-237 vegetable transplanter. Potato growers can compare the S239/2 and S239 potato planters.
Frequently asked questions
Which planter requires less manual feeding?
AGP systems automatically pick up cloves using planting cups, while MGP systems require operators to feed planting material manually. The better choice depends on material uniformity, required planting rate, labour and field conditions.
Can I plant onions or flower bulbs?
Some machines can plant suitably sized onion sets or bulbs. Suitability must be checked against the material’s shape and dimensions, the planting mechanism and the required spacing.
Can MacWood advise on equipment in Australia?
Yes. MacWood is GARMACH’s independent Australian distribution partner. Send the crop type, measurements, row layout, tractor details and delivery postcode to info@macwood.com.au or call +61 419 878 319.
Ready for a recommendation? Request a machinery quotation or message Andrew on WhatsApp.